


OTP Meme: Reiner x Bertholdt

by lettucelove



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst, Blood and Gore, Cannibalism, Explicit Language, Fluff, Humor, M/M, OTP meme, Violence, possible manga spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-14
Updated: 2018-03-14
Packaged: 2019-03-31 05:45:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13968627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lettucelove/pseuds/lettucelove
Summary: Rated as Explicit, for future chapters.  Tags will also be updated as needed.As always, feedback is appreciated!





	1. Hallo

It was the middle of summer, and it was raining.  When they arrived at the Braun residence, Bertholdt peered up at his father, his murmured words of protest getting lost in the harsh rhythm of the rain as it pelted their umbrella.  He was understandably nervous about meeting new people, despite the many reassurances.  _”But don’t you want to make a new friend, Bertholdt?  His name is Reiner.  I hear he’s very nice.”_ All he could do then was shrug and shyly avert his gaze.  He wasn’t good with people, especially other kids; the youth of Liberio were the worst, in his opinion, always picking on him because he was abnormally tall and withdrawn, but it never went beyond verbal insults and petty thievery – it never really got physical.  Whenever he would look up and face his tormentors, they cowered and called him a freak, but he refused to let his guard down until they disappeared.  That’s when the wall crumbled.  
  
Bertholdt furrowed his brow and looked at the ground again as his father stepped forward to knock.  His heart was beating faster, now.  He wanted nothing more than to run back home and crawl into bed with a book.  It was the perfect weather for it!  With his sleeve, Bertholdt wiped his face and lifted his gaze when the door opened to reveal a serene young woman, her smile welcoming.  From what he understood, she lived there with her brother and his wife; she didn’t have a husband and her son – the one he was supposed to be meeting – was illegitimate.  _Whatever that means.  
  
_ “Please, come in.”  She stepped aside.  “I’ll make some tea.”  Behind her, a little blond boy clung to her dress, golden eyes peering around at the newcomer.  He watched Bertholdt like a hawk as the other youth came to a stop and turned his head, their eyes locking immediately.  He froze, paralyzed.  It felt like the wind had been knocked out of his chest.   _"When you meet someone special - someone who is meant to be in your life - you'll know."_ Was this the feeling his mother had told him about?  Was this... Bertholdt meant to be in his life?  More importantly, his heart?  It sounded like a bunch of lovesick mumbo jumbo, but his mother would never lie to him.  He wanted to ask if that's how she felt when she met his father, but she looked so sad, he refrained.  
  
As the woman moved away to carry out her task, her son went without cover, causing him to suddenly panic and rush off towards his bedroom, leaving his guest at a loss.  
  
“Heh, shy little fella, isn’t he?”  
  
Bertholdt chewed his lip.  “Yeah, guess so…”  
  
His father ruffled his soft hair.  “Why don’t you go see if he wants to play?  We’ll be in the kitchen, if you need us.”  
  
With a sigh, Bertholdt relented, letting his feet carry him after the blond.  “Reiner?” he called through the door of his bedroom before pushing it open.  It was already cracked, so that was okay, right?  “Um… You in here?”  The taller boy walked in and looked around.  For a child’s bedroom, it was surprisingly bare.  He did notice a lot of stuffed teddy bears, though – all in good shape.  “You like bears, too?” he asked, reaching for one.  
  
“Don’t touch that!”  
  
Bertholdt stilled his hand.  “S-Sorry!”  
  
Reiner had burst out of his closet, ready to beat a bitch.  No one touched his teddy bears without his permission and lived!  He stared the other boy down, challenging him, but Bertholdt didn’t move – he didn’t speak.  Seeing that his guest wasn’t too much of a threat, Reiner stalked over to his bears and grabbed the one about to be soiled by the fingers of an outsider.  “My uncle gave me this,” he mumbled.  The way he looked at it gave the impression that it was his most treasured plush.  “… Eh, sorry I snapped at you.”  
  
“…”  
  
“Say _something._ ”  
  
“… Something?”  
  
Reiner just glared at Bertholdt.  What a smart ass.  He scoffed and shoved the bear at his guest.  “Here, you can hold him.”  The other boy had no choice but to hold the kid’s prized possession – and he did so carefully.  He held it close to his face and inhaled the scent wafting up from the soft fabric.  _Lavender.  
  
_ “Smells good,” the brunet mumbled into the bear’s head, eyes drooping, focusing on the floor.  
  
Reiner raised a brow.  “Yeah?  My uncle works in an herb field.  S’got his scent on it.”  
  
“What’s your bear’s name?”  
  
“Thomas.”  
  
“Oh…”  Bertholdt smiled faintly and inhaled again.  The scent of lavender had a soothing effect on his nerves.  “My name’s Bertholdt, by the way.”  
  
Reiner seemed to relax fully, then.  “Do you, uh, want to play chess, Bertl?”  
  
_Bertl?_   The brunet’s smile strengthened, a blush creeping over his cheeks.  “I dunno how to play, though.”  
  
“I’ll teach you.”

 


	2. Heartache

“I will leave you to grieve.”  
  
Pieck left him at the cliff’s edge and returned to Zeke’s side.  There was a considerable amount of distance between them and the Walls, now – all thanks to the Cart Titan’s extraordinary speed and stamina.  Reiner could already hear the praise spewing from Zeke’s lips, charming their female companion, reestablishing their bond, while he sat on a rock near the edge of the plateau, clearly upset with the outcome of their battle.  He didn’t expect to be shown the same comfort.  He was just a tool, after all – a living weapon.  _“We couldn’t save Bertholdt.”_ His eyes darkened.  The conversation replayed in his head.  He remembered asking why.  He remembered the shock and anger rising in his chest, how it made his blood boil and his heart pound.  _“… It was his time.”_ What a bullshit answer, he thought.  He wanted to scream.  He wanted to tear Zeke apart.  
  
_He’ll get his…  
  
_ Reiner had focused his energy on restoring his eyesight and his ability to walk.  He could do without his hands, for now.  Glancing over his shoulder, he could see Zeke’s condition approving just as well.  He watched as Pieck lit a cigarette for him and stuck it between his lips, babying him, murmuring things by his ear.  The older man was putting off a weird vibe.  He didn’t like it.  
  
_I could do it.  I could fucking kill him.  Pieck, too, if she got in the way.  
  
_ He could manage another transformation and _eat_ him.  It would be exhausting as hell, but worth it.   _First_ , he would hold Zeke’s head between his teeth and apply pressure little by little, just to hear the man scream and beg for mercy.  Then, _then_ , he would bite him in two and sever that valuable spine of his and take his _fucking titan power_.  
  
He nearly _growled_ at the delicious fantasy.  
  
Before his murderous thoughts got the better of him, the Warrior turned away again and sighed heavily, rubbing at his chest with his nub of an arm.  His heart was palpitating – almost painfully.  His bottom lip quivered and his brow furrowed.  _Bertholdt._ Reiner was always the strong one, always protecting, always helping, always holding, always there.  _Who’s going to be there for me?_ Who was going to keep him grounded and tell him everything was going to be okay?  
  
“Goddammit… It’s my fault.”  His words were ground out and quiet; tears finally broke free and rolled down his cheeks, leaving clean lines in the dirt coating his skin.  _Bertholdt, I’m so sorry.  I… I wasn’t there.  I should have been there._ He could feel his headache getting worse.  He needed to hit something.  
  
“Reiner.”  
  
“ _What_.”  
  
He didn’t dare look at them a second time.  
  
“There are titans down there, if you need to release some steam.”  Pieck was staring at the back of his head, her eyes soft and understanding.  She knew how hard it must have been, to lose someone you held so close – and for it to happen twice, she could tell Reiner was in bad shape.  “I will be there, if you have trouble.”  Of course, she would.  Zeke wasn’t ready to let him die, yet.  
  
The blond stood, catching sight of the roaming titans below.  He could already feel his teeth itch and his muscles tense, like a cat ready to spring on unsuspecting prey.  His titan was hungry, and denying it would only make things worse.  
  
“Be careful, Reiner,” Zeke spoke around his cigarette as he watched Pieck approach the Warrior and slip a knife between his lips.  She kissed his cheek.  It was platonic.  It was gross and uncomfortable.  
  
Without another word, Reiner jumped and ran his arm along the blade’s edge, triggering his transformation.  It felt… _good_ to be back inside of his titan, surrounded by the warmth, feeling safe and snug among the muscle fibers that clung to his form.  He landed hard, kicking up rocks, getting the other titans’ attention.  The smaller ones kept their distance, displaying almost submissive behavior in the presence of their superior.  But the others – they didn’t care.  
  
The Armored Titan stood, emitting a deep rumble.  The armor plating protecting his mouth retracted to bare his teeth, threatening the titans rushing toward him.  He didn’t engage right away.  He waited until one of them was close enough before lunging out to grab its face in his jaws, then another with his hand, _squeezing_ until flesh and bone gave under his strength.  His movements were quick and calculated as the Warrior in him was unleashed.  
  
He grabbed another titan and pinned it down, his teeth going straight for the nape in a vicious show of dominance.  It took nothing to rip out a spine.  _Bertholdt.  Do you remember how you looked at me, when I shifted in front of you?  Your eyes brightened and you smiled.  We were only little boys, then.  We were awestruck._ Another titan came within range.  He took it down, too, and disemboweled it violently.  It was no longer about hunger.  It was about taking out his anger on something other than Zeke and himself.  It was about getting lost in the carnage.  It was about letting go.  
  
_I love you, Bertholdt.  I’m doing this for you… All of this.  
  
_ Struck with another wave of emotional agony, the Armored Titan sat up from his kill and roared.  _I can still feel you.  It’s faint, but it’s there._ Inside of the beast’s neck, Reiner clinched his jaw as fresh tears pooled in his eyes.  _You’ll always be there, won’t you?  You and Marcel.  You were always mine._ As he cried, his titan cried; it was an unusual sight to see the fluid leaking beneath the armor covering his face.  He slumped on the ground, his breathing slow and guttural.  
  
_Hurts._


End file.
